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Viagra Linked To Cases Of Blindness
It was recently reported in the news that doctors believe the anti impotence drug Viagra increases the risk of blindness.
In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating 38 reports of optic neuropathy among users of the impotence drug. In the UK, the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has received reports of six suspected cases.
The condition non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is also described as "stroke in the eye" and can lead to partial or total blindness. NAION occurs when the blood flow to the optic nerve is interrupted and, in some cases, this adverse effect has occurred within hours of the user taking Viagra.
At this stage, it cannot be said with any certainty that Viagra actually causes blindness because men who take this drug often have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are also associated with the conditions that can cause blindness.
The FDA is also investigating four reports of blindness by users of Cialis, a leading competitor to Viagra. The FDA has taken the precautionary measure of contacting the manufacturer of Levitra, another drug for erectile dysfunction, in case there is a problem with the entire class of medication.
If you believe you have been adversely affected as a result of Viagra, Cialis or a similar type of drug please contact Stephen Hanbury of our Product Liability Team.